No Idea why anyone would hate on Mike V---the guy has been NOTHING but pro-skate since day one. He's never sold out, never done anything but try to get skating noticed---so what if he was the Tuxedo guy in "The Hangover"? That may well be one of the funniest 3 movies EVER---good for him for being in it! At least UNLIKE Natas (who I really have VERY little respect for) He didn't disappear under the guise of some art fart.

Even Gonz came back bigger and better--Natas just went the way of the dinosaur.

Mike's gone thru hardcore injuries, dealing with family and sponsorship crap and still always been 10,000% all about skating. If you hate on him---you should grab a mirror to hate on yourself, there's NEVER been a day since the mid 80's that Mike V's ever try to hurt skating.

thanks for the post, regardless if he rides for Affliction clothing now, it is best to remember your heroes in their prime and this is a perfect example. A few things though. I don't think I'n ever seen that Street Razor ad and isn't there no such thing as a Frontside Indy? In that Tailgrab on the MIniramp, is he riding with a riser on the front and NO riser on the back? The last picture is from, I think, the best Transworld issue ever produced. I had mike sign that last picture in 2005 and a Zumiez couch tour. It felt like it was 1990 again.

big up 2 my boy vallely. hes just crazy and doesnt give a flying fuck about rules or convention. shit, the other day i was riding my board down the street and some old lady was like "can you please go 2 the skate park?" so i said "fuck you old bitch, suck on deez nutz" and then i socked the old hag in the face and rolled off on my board with my middle finger in the air. i felt like mike vallely so much. but still, i wish i knew what it was like 2 b a tru bad ass like him. im thinkin of growing my hair out and getting a confederate flag belt buckle (the south will rise again) but i dont wanna b 2 much of an imitator. what do you guys think?

I was lucky enough to meet him when he was on tour with Templeton and Dune back in the day and he couldn't have been nicer to my friends and I even getting us into the demo for free. About 2 years ago I emailed him thanking him for taking the time back then, and he replied back talking abou that day and thanking me for being a fan. Can't say I agree with every move the guy's made over the past 10 years or so but he's still skating which is more than most people his age (or mine for that matter) are doing.

yeah atm, that out with the old came along when Mike went to New Deal... Rocco's wrath.

Big up to Sammy for voicing his opinion and not holding anything back... couple of points in there definitely made me raise an eyebrow (I've never heard anybody EVER diss Natas... sacrilege in my book, sir). But hey, that's your thing and stuff like that keeps this thing interesting.

That animal farm deck was ill... a friend of mine rode those double vision boards for like 6 months prior to mike's board coming out, telling us how awesome it was. We thought he was full of shit... guess he won that argument.

isapien, damn i never noticed that riser pad thing. I'm sure he is riding 2 risers but it sure doesn't look like it... that would be so hard/ridiculous. Best issue of Transworld though has to be November '95: Kalis SF cover, that Ari M. article, Koston and Guy spotlights... Forget about it.

Thanks Ricks, got a post of yours coming up.

I may be in the minority here but I always found Mike's ND/TV era kinda underrated. I remember his parts in that Union wheels video and 1281 being pretty good... granted i haven't seen it since back then and obviously it doesn't really measure up the legendary parts he had previously but at the time, it was definitely was worthwhile.